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Helsinki-Vantaa HEL AIRPORT OVERVIEW

Helsinki Vantaa Airport HEL is Finland's most important airport and is a leading transfer point for air traffic between Europe, Asia & North America. Vantaa Airport is managed by Finavia, which continuously upgrades its airport facilities throughout Finland. The Airport is also recognized for its on-time performance.

HEL Airport is located three miles from Vantaa, Tikkurila, and 19 km, or half an hour drive, from the city center of Helsinki and is accessible from Helsinki's Keha III circle motorway 50, and a number of motorways merging into it (motorways 51, 1, 120, 3, 45, 4 & 7).

With 3 long runways and serving near 15 million passengers annually, Helsinki Vantaa Airport can accommodate Airbuses 340/350, is hub for its flag-carrier Finnair & to Blue1, and is served by many national and international airlines offering direct and connecting flights to all points of the globe.

NOTE:
- 15 Automated Boarder Control Gates, each for departing & arriving passengers, are used by 'citizens holding a biometric passport issued by EU/EEA countries' - no pre-registration required. Citizens of the European Union can pass through border control, using one of the 30 automatic border control checkpoints serving both arriving & departing passengers.
- 'Helsinki Airport is the world’s first airport to introduce passenger flow management technology covering the whole passenger pathway from carparks to departure gates'. Developed by Finnish company 'Walkbase', this technology allows presently airport managers to identify passenger flow bottlenecks within the terminal - however, soon passengers will also benefit from this tech, as they can be notified on their smart phones about gate information, departure time changes or finding transfer directions. - Easy to spot Chinese guides - offer service to Chinese passengers.

Five steps from check-in to boarding using technology: 1. If taveling with handbag only: check in at home online with your airline; on Arrival at the Airport proceed directly to security control;
2. Attach baggage tag to your checked bag, then proceed to baggage drop machine (look at screens for location) using the scanner to scan your bags.
3. At E-Gates past security control - scan your boarding pass and proceed to security control.
4. Passengers heading to a non-Schengen destination (including foreign airports) use thePassport scanner: put passport into the scanner and stand on marked spot for camera view. Remove first glasses, hat, while photo is taken.
5. At the boading gate use the e-boarding kiosk: place boarding pass onto scanner, then proceed to board your plane.

On-Airport hotels include the Hilton Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and the Hotel GLO Helsinki Airport.
- A new Sandic Hotel wil be soon under construction near Terminal 2 - to be completted early 2018.

Present and future Airport developments 2016 - 2020: Terminal and airfield expansions, acquisition of new wide-bodied Airbus aircraft and completion of rail connection between Airport and central Helsinki are part of a strategy for Helsinki to become a premier hub between Europe and Asia and to reach an annual 20 million passenger by 2020:- Ongoing Phase 2 work includes retail facility upgrades and construction of South Wing at - to be completed summer 2017.- T2 Expansion & West Wing: Ongoing Phase 3 work involves the Central Plaza - currently scheduled to open 2018.
- Upon completion of the entire US$1.2B project by 2020, a total of 75,000 sq.meters will have been added; its baggage-handling capacity increased by 50 percent; passenger capacity increased to 20M passengers/yr; and 16 air bridges for wide-body aircraft and 70 new or renovated shops & cafes were added.